@blakereedevans: 🎨 Sometimes the best way to fight direct dye… is with MORE direct dye. @SalonCentric #saloncentricpartner When you’re working with hair that has been stained by direct dyes, traditional toning isn’t always the most efficient way to balance the canvas. Why? Because we aren’t necessarily dealing with exposed underlying pigment anymore. We’re dealing with artificial pigment that has physically stained the hair. That changes the way I approach toning. One of my favorite tricks is using a flash toner with direct dye to quickly balance the unwanted tone BEFORE going in with my final formula. You have a couple options: ✨ Reach for a direct dye like @Pulp Riot Hair when you need that extra punch of pigment to neutralize a stubborn stain. ✨ Or, you can strategically use a @Redken’s EQ shade that contains direct dyes. Not every Shades EQ formula contains direct dye, but certain shades do, including 08CR . In this case, 08CR + Clear 000 became my flash toner. Think ON + OFF. Just a few minutes to help balance the canvas, not necessarily create the finished tone. Once the canvas was more balanced, I could go in with my final formula…Shades ALK 10N + 10P Don’t ask your final toner to do all the heavy lifting. Sometimes correcting the canvas FIRST gives your final formula a much cleaner, more predictable starting point.

Blake Reed Evans

Open In TikTok:

Region: US

Tuesday 01 September 2026 01:20:58 GMT